When should the benefits of exercise start?

Exercizing on a cut can be pretty lousy. I train for 3-4 hours at a time, and flat out do not have the energy I do when I'm eating at maintenance or a surplus.

That said, the fact that you're not losing weight after 5 months makes me wonder. Are you weighing your food? Go get a $10 food scale, and find out how accurately you're logging stuff, because something doesn't compute here.

If I were you, I'd pay more attention to my macros. Be sure that you're getting the right amount of protein, especially. Runners don't realize that they need as much as they do. Runners and Protein

daverodney wrote: »

Afraid I have no idea about macros, but I have made sure my diet is balanced. Easy on the carbs and protein and a good amount of veg. I haven't drunk alcohol in any kind of quantity for months (not that I did before anyway) and cakes/pies/fatty foods are a no-no.

I suspect I will have to go down the route of weighing everything (I've been using the rule of thumb of not eating more than my wife - she's slim) but like both comments say, it doesn't add up. This is everything I've been trying to avoid in dieting but needs must...

Thanks!

Agreeing with all of the above! Especially the recommendations to check your protein. That was my first thought when I read your original post. You also need to make sure you're getting enough carbs. Runners absolutely need carbs. Cut your carbs too much and limit your protein, and you're in for a heap of trouble as a runner.

I know making your food intake all about numbers isn't fun, but it's immensely helpful. I've been amazed by how much I need to eat to get my calories in sometimes. I'm a 5'3" woman and cutting while training, but a typical meat + veg meal for me completely fills a full-sized dinner plate. I've got so much energy that I'm having to hold myself back on easy days, I'm rarely hungry, and I'm losing weight like crazy (17lbs in one month).

I got to that point by measuring my food.

I had no idea what a true serving looked like until I started using a scale. With vegetables, especially low-starch vegetables like greens and brassicas, it's incredibly easy to aim too low. I weighed out portions of green beans, steamed red potatoes and grilled chicken to fit my macros and calorie needs for a meal, and found myself wondering how on earth I was going to eat so much food! But with the weight measured on a calibrated scale, I knew it was correct.

Do a good bit of research before you decide on what numbers you want to try for a while, and then listen to your body. If you're starving, fatigued, and not seeing the progress you want, your body is telling you that something needs to change.

i can only comment on the energy - but I've found that if I'm exhausted, consistently, after working out it means that I'm overtraining. When I train the 'right' amount I do feel energized for the rest of the day. When I push myself too hard (which I used to do all the time) I was exhausted.
I might try easing up on your workouts except for your weekend long runs. See if that helps your energy.

MeanderingMammal wrote: »

daverodney wrote: »

Easy on the carbs and protein

Sod that for a running diet.

Read the entire sentence. @MeanderingMammal‌ specifically said "you'll be in trouble" if they did this. You quoted half the sentence.

You might not be eating enough. MFP is designed around the idea of net calories. So, if you run 6 miles, you should eat an additional 600-800 calories on top of your recommended daily goal, which is hard to do sometimes, but it will make you feel a lot better. Also, carbs and protein is pretty pivotal for training. If you get too worried about it, just regulate when you eat them (i.e. slow carbs 30 - 60 minutes before a run, fast carbs only during or right before a workout) and protein all the time! I know that as I increase my training volume I need to make significant additions to my calorie intake, or else I turn into a tired, grumpy mess.